Liberalism has made repeated claims to care for the environment; they have had laws passed calling for severe penalties on anyone or any corporation who would harm it. However, the opposite is fully demonstrated here following the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. One hundred tons of trash were removed from the National Mall in the days following, all of it thrown on the ground by liberals.

Liberal hypocrisy is the act of a liberal saying or doing a certain thing for which they condemn others in doing. Liberal hypocrisy can extend as far as condemning a conservative position yet embracing the same position it if it becomes a liberal position. A recent example of liberal hypocrisy is that liberals will often criticize George W. Bush for drinking in his youth, although they do not criticize Barack Obama who blatantly admitted to using drugs and who smoked [1] well after sponsoring a harsh tabacco bill and drinks alcohol[2]. Several years later, Obama realized he was exhibiting liberal hypocrisy to his children regarding his smoking, and in a rare display of common sense, finally stopped. [3] This demonstrates that openmindness can overcome liberal hypocrisy, even among its most ardent practitioners. Sadly, liberals did not follow Obama's example, and still (unfairly) heap criticisms on others.

Politics

Rep. Rosa DeLauro

Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, voted for a massive aid bill totaling $26 billion dollars, which was passed into law and signed by President Obama on August 10, 2010; the bill would distribute money to states to aid teachers and first responders (fire fighters, police). DeLauro said this in an email to Fox News:

"I fought very hard for the food assistance money in the Recovery Act, and the fact is that participation in the food stamps program has jumped dramatically with the economic crisis, from 31.1 million persons to 38.2 million just in one year." "But I know that states across the nation and my own state of Connecticut also desperately need these resources to save jobs and avoid Draconian cuts to essential services for low income families."[4]

The "food assistance" money she is referring to is the Food stamp program, which provides money to needy families who live at or below the poverty line. For the aid bill, Delauro voted to remove approximately $12 billion dollars from the food stamp program.

Actress Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher, an actress and book author, was interviewed by Nicki Gostin for the website "PopEater" on June 14, 2010, and when asked about whether or not members of the Tea Party Movement were angry with President Barrack Obama, she had this to say:

"Yup, and the fact that they chose to call themselves "teabaggers," which is slang for a certain act involving (deleted profanity). It sort of says a lot. I would say a mouthful. Looks like it's very upsetting for them, but he's brilliant. The thing is, he's half white but that's still not enough -- for them it's all white or (deleted profanity). I think we don't deserve him and certainly teabaggers don't deserve him."

Fisher ignored the fact that the Tea Party was created in response to an increasingly-repressive, over-taxing, and power-grabbing central government; it has its origins with the Boston Tea Party and the conditions which caused the American Revolution, conditions which are cited within the Declaration of Independence. Fisher herself played Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, which involved her character being on the side of a rebellion against a corrupt, repressive, and power-grabbing central government.[5][6]

NBC, MSNBC, and Keith Olbermann

The former host of Countdown With Keith Olbermann is not shy about where his ideology lies; he has used his nationaly-known broadcast to disparage conservatives, Republicans, Christians, and anyone else who disagrees with his liberal philosophy. On November 5, 2010, Olbermann was suspended indefinitely without pay by MSNBC for giving contributions to three Democratic candidates without first notifying his bosses, one of whom appeared on his show just after receiving a contribution. Citing NBC policy that states "Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the President of NBC News or his designee" , MSNBC President Phil Griffin gave the order for suspension. [7][8]

"Contributions" to a cause does not have to be in terms of money; it can also involve using the public airwaves. MSNBC has continually presented programing and hosts hostile to conservatives and the Republican Party, while at the same time being supportive of the Democratic Party and liberalism in general. MSNBC currently presents nightly programing similar to Olbermann's, hosted by Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow, both of whom are on record as using their shows in support of Democratic causes. Further, parent company NBC uses its Today show and NBC Nightly News in much the same way.

Liberal hypocrisy may have been one of the factors that caused Microsoft to divest itself from MSNBC in 2012--although the mainstream media would not have, and did not, report on this issue. [9]

Religion

ACLU antics

For years, the American Civil Liberties Union has been filing lawsuits against Christians in the country over prayers and gatherings in public places, prayers in public schools, the teaching of Creationism or Intelligent design, or anything that has to do with the Bible. On August 3, 2010, the City of New York passed a unanimous resolution granting the building of an Islamic mosque just blocks away from the site of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which was totally destroyed by fanatical adherents of Islam on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people there and in simultaneous attacks in Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Utterly-condemned by the nation at large, the ACLU and its sister group New York Civil Liberties Union said in a joint statement about the new resolution "We congratulate the Landmarks Preservation Commission for promoting our nation's core values and not letting bias get in the way of the rule of law. The free exercise of religion is one of America's most fundamental freedoms. For hundreds of years,our pluralism and tolerance have sustained and strengthened our nation."[11]

Gun control

The Founding Fathers knew first hand what it was like to fight against a tyrannical government, and they recognized even before the American Revolution that guns owned by private citizens act as a threat against such a government. The following individuals and organizations have either proposed legislation against private gun ownership, or have spoken for anti-gun laws, while at the same time acted the opposite:

Newspapers

As a direct result of the tragedy involving the shooting deaths of 26 children and administrators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the New York Journal published an online interactive map on December 23, 2012 showing the locations of all law-abiding citizens who legally owned, and had registered, firearms within Westchester and Rockland counties of New York. "We knew publication of the database would be controversial, but we felt sharing as much information as we could about gun ownership in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings," editor and news vice president CynDee Royle said[12]. The newspaper's editors also sought out what type of weapons were owned, as well as targeting Putnam County, which denied the request. Speaking about the rage many felt over the Journal's anti-gun stance, state Senator Greg Ball, (R-Patterson, N.Y.) said in a statement "This is clearly a violation of privacy, and needs to be corrected immediately. The same elitist eggheads who use their editorial page to coddle terrorists and criminals are now treating law-abiding citizens like level-three sexual predators. Every person with common sense should be offended."

Left out of the Journal's search were people in illegal possession of guns, namely the criminal element. In the days since the Journal published their map and offended the country, an enterprising blogger released the names and addresses of all the journalists who worked for that paper[13]; as a result, the Journal has now hired and posted guards for their employees - all carrying the firearms that the Journal hates so much[14].

Clooney stared in the film The Peacemaker, in which he played an American military man defending the country from a nuclear attack; scenes in the film showed him using a gun to defend himself and others.

Mark Wahlberg, actor

Upon meeting Charlton Heston on the set of the remake of Planet of the Apes, Wahlberg rudely told Heston, "It was very disturbing meeting you." Later, Wahlberg would have this to say at the MTV Movie Awards:

"I believe Charlton Heston is America's best villain because he loves guns so much. Maybe he should get the award for being president of the National Rifle Association."[16]

Wahlberg's character in Planet of the Apes uses a gun to defend himself and other humans from the apes who would rule over them.

Rosie O'Donnell, actress and talk show host

On her television show, April 19, 1999, O'Donnell had this to say about gun owners:

"I don't care if you want to hunt. I don't care if you think it's your right. I say, 'Sorry.' It is 1999. We have had enough as a nation. You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison."

Several months later, her bodyguard applied for a concealed gun permit from the Greenwich (Connecticut) Police Department. [17]

Janeane Garafalo, actress and commentator
Janeane Garafalo appears on the Fox televisions series 24, which accurately portrays the usefulness of aggressive interrogation on terrorists. But when she was the host of a series on the leftist Air America network, she condemned the use of torture, specifically referencing the TV series.[18]

Politicians

Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry giving a "thumbs up" on his Ohio duck hunt during his 2004 campaign, which also included an endorsement from the anti-hunting National Humane Society.

"I can't describe how I felt when I picked up that rifle, loaded it into my little car and drove home," she writes. "It seemed so incredibly strange: Sarah Brady, of all people, packing heat."[19]

Sarah Brady fought for gun laws to make it tougher for the average citizen to purchase and own one, which was the end result of her husband being seriously wounded by John Hinckley in March, 1981, when he tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. "We hope that it's innocuous and there's been no laws violated," said James Jay Baker, chief lobbyist for the National Rifle Association. "It's obviously interesting that Sarah would be purchasing firearms of any kind for anybody, given her championing of restrictive guns laws for everyone."

John Kerry, United States Senator

Kerry's voting record here [20] and here [21] speaks for itself. The National Humane Society, long against the hunting of animals in any fashion, gave Kerry a 100% good rating during his failed presidential run in 2004. [22]

Gender relations and issues

John Edwards, Democratic Presidential candidate

Liberals have long purported to promote equality and acceptance of women in the marketplace, and oppose hate speech. Former U.S. Senator and Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards while campaigning for the DemocraticPresidential nomination in 2007 in the same breath after calling social commentator Ann Coulter a "she-devil," said "people like Ann Coulter, they engage in hateful language." [23]

Racism

Color of Change and Glenn Beck

On his Fox News program, Glenn Beck declared to a guest that Obama is a "racist" with "a deep-seated hatred for white people," based on the present political situation and Obama's past. Declaring the comment to be racist in and of itself, the organization "Color of Change," a liberal activist group headed by current "green czar" Van Jones - a declared communist - wrote a large number of letters to the sponsors of Beck's program, demanding they distance themselves from the show and cease sponsoring. A number of these companies (Wal-Mart, GEICO, etc) did just that. What they want to do is to make Beck a liability; James Rucker, Color of Change's executive director, stated in an interview "They have a toxic asset. They can either clean it up or get rid of it." [2]

Racism doesn't stop Color of Change from selling T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Kanye was Right" [3], referring to the hostile remarks made by rapper Kanye West during a fundraising for victims of Hurricane Katrina in September, 2005, in which he declared that the federal response to the disaster was deliberately slow because the victims were black. "We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!" He added a moment later "George Bush doesn’t care about black people." [4][5][6]

In April of 2007, the American Journal of Public Health analyzed data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and the data suggested that Americanlesbian women were 2.69 times more likely to be overweight and 2.47 times more likely to be obese than all other female sexual orientation groups. [24] Barack Obama appointed Regina Benjamin, an obese woman, to be the US Surgeon General.[25] Regina Benjamin and the Obamas have yet to make a public statement concerning lesbianism and obesity

Eating well

The Obamas and obesity

The Obamas have come out against obesity, making it a goal to have obesity ratings for all citizens done by 2014.[26] This includes mandatory checks on body fat index, to be made available in medical health records. According to The Hill, the "first lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity has thrust a tax on fast food and soft drinks onto the legislative agendas of local and state governments."[27] "We all know the numbers," Michelle Obama said. "I mean, one in three kids are overweight or obese, and we're spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there's a lot at stake."[28] Her efforts include teaching kids at the school level about proper nutrition and diet;[29] she also has made claims that it costs over $140 billion a year in heath care, in addition to national security issues.[30]

This focus on obesity, however, didn't stop the Obama family from going to a Mount Desert[31] ice cream parlor in North Carolina[32] (where a typical vanilla is very high in saturated fat and calories,[33] alongside any other premium ice cream)[34] ; nor did it stop Michelle Obama from enjoying cheeseburgers and fries on the campaign trail in Milwaukee[35]; nor did it prevent Barack Obama from loading up on two Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, washed down with a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone while in Pennsylvania[36] In addition, Barack Obama appointed Regina Benjamin, an obese woman, to be the US Surgeon General.[37] Regina Benjamin and the Obamas have yet to publicly discuss the significant obesity problem within the lesbian community.

Money issues

Making money

John Edwards, former United States Senator

On August 2, 2007, Edwards made a demand of fellow Democratic presidential candidates that they refuse to accept money from Rupert Murdoch. He said this while speaking in Chapel Hill, North Carolina:

"News Corp's purchase of the Dow Jones Co. and The Wall Street Journal should be the last straw when it comes to media consolidation. The basis of a strong democracy begins and ends with a strong, unbiased and fair media — all qualities which are pretty hard to subscribe to Fox News and News Corp. The reality is that Americans deserve more news outlets — not fewer. It's time for all Democrats, including those running for president, to stand up and speak out against this merger and other forms of media consolidation.

"Moreover, given Fox News' consistent efforts to demean Democrats — they have attacked the character of Senator Obama, Vice President Gore, and many others — no Democrat running for president should accept campaign money from top News Corp executives. So, today, I'm challenging every Democratic presidential candidate to refuse contributions from News Corp executives and return any they've already taken, beginning with Rupert Murdoch. The time has come for Democrats to stop pretending to be friends with the very people who demonize the Democratic Party."[38]

John Edwards is the recipient of some $800,000 in advance royalties for a book he wrote titled "Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives", from HarperCollins Publishers, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. When asked if he would return the royalties, the answer was "no". [39]

Harry Smith, co-host of CBS' The Early Show

On July 24, 2007, home and garden expert Danny Lipford demonstrated a product that can water a parched lawn from underground. Referring to the cost ($140.00), Smith said this:

"Now that the minimum wage is up, maybe we can afford it."

The minimum wage is $5.85 per hour. Smith can afford the product on his $3,000,000 a year salary. [40]

Dianne Sawyer, co-host of ABC's Good Morning America

Good Morning America on July 18, 2007 criticized Rupert Murdoch as the “the man with everything” just after he bought the Wall Street Journal. Sawyer elaborated with this:

“You think he has everything? I'll bet the day after tomorrow there is something new he wants,”

In a short interview by CNS News on October 1, 2009, liberal documentary film maker Michael Moore was asked by reporter Nicholas Ballasy "Critics would say he’s [Moore] been very successful under a capitalist system. How would you justify making a movie where you paint capitalism as evil?" Moore replied "Well, capitalism did nothing for me, starting with my first film. You know, I had to pretty much beg, borrow and steal," he said. "The system is not set up to help somebody from the working class make a movie like this and get the truth out there."

To date, all of Moore's films and books have amassed more than $300,000,000 in profits due to America's capilalist system; one, Fahrenheit 9/11 - a film suggesting the United States Government caused the events of September 11, 2001 - earned more than $200,000,000 alone. [7]

Taking money (taxation)

In 2001 the state legislature and many liberals in Arkansas clamored for Republican governor Mike Huckabee to raise taxes to shore up an estimated $142 million budget deficit. In response, Huckabee create the "Tax Me More" Fund, in which liberals who feel they are guilty of not contributing more to the government can voluntarily do so and, according to spokesman Rick Nelson, "assuage their guilt". "We share responsibility for the [budget] fiasco," said state Senator John Riggs, a Democrat who represents Little Rock. "I am responsible for my actions and am as guilty as everyone else for letting the governor's budget go through."

Riggs ponied up $100 for the fund. One week after implementing the fund at the end of November, 2001, the fund amounted to $260. By the following April, the amount was between $2,000-$3,000. The program ended in June, 2002.[42][43][44]

Taking taxes while avoiding them

John Kerry's Isabel; he doesn't have to pay the sales tax on it.

Senator John Kerry is on record as having raised taxes on the wealthy, as well as fighting the cutting of those taxes. It was revealed that Kerry bought a luxury yacht - the Isabel - a 76-foot New Zealand-built sloop designed by Ted Fontaine, with an Edwardian-style interior, complete with wet bar, wine storage, and VIP cabins. He paid $7 million for the boat, and would have had to pay over $435,000 dollars and a $70,000 annual excise tax to Massachusetts, the state he represents and calls home. [45]

Kerry purchased, and most importantly - ported - the yacht in Rhode Island, where he's aware of the 1993 repeal of the Boat Sales and Use Tax. He won't have to pay a dime in taxes for his new toy.

Spending Money

Liberal Democrats decry the amount of money America has added to the budget deficit, blaming President Bush, [46] then refuse to pass an earmark moratorium to limit government spending. [47]

No to gas-tax holiday

For the privileged Democratic committee members, the last four months has been a tax-free gas fill-up in Colorado, home of the Presidential convention. Since Denver's municipal gas pumps are tax-free, Democrats made frequent use of the city's resources. These are the same Democrats that have refused the tax-break holiday for the American people. It is not a good for everyone, just a few select liberal people. [48]

Equality Earnings

Senate Democrats hold hearings on the pay equality for women, blame McCain. All the while, Obama is not criticized for paying over $12,000 more for male staffers than women staffers. McCain's campaign actually pays 24% more to women than does Obama. [49] For every dollar that Joe Biden paid his average male staffer, his female equivalent made only 73 cents. [50]

The hounding of the dead

Senator Charles Schumer wants an investigation into whether or not credit card companies are demanding that relatives of deceased card holders pay the bills. "These companies call surviving relatives, often shortly after the death of a loved one, to coax or cajole them into making payments on the deceased relative's credit card," Schumer said in a recent email sent to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Jon Leibowitz. "To say the least, this practice is distasteful and unethical. Moreover, this practice may very well violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act."[8].

The Environment

More exhaust, less walking

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, a long-time "champion" of the environment, ended a small celebration in Hollywood, California involving a newly-released video by British singer Paul McCartney, stepped into her car and went to dinner with her husband on April 18th, 2012. The restaurant was four doors down the street - 0.06 of a mile - and took approximately 10 seconds, while several others who were at the same event and went to the same restaurant walked the distance in less than a couple minutes. The car she was in - a chauffeured Lincoln Town Car - is a gas guzzler, getting 15 miles per gallon or less in the city.[52][53]

Liberals are trashy

As with the inauguration of President Obama on January 20, 2009, liberals have demonstrated in mass numbers their own disdain for taking care of the environment; the earth is a trash can to them. On October 2, 2010, thousands of liberals who expressed desires of socialism and big government descended on Washington D.C., in part to counter the Glen Beck "Restoring Honor" rally a few weeks before. Thousands of pounds of signs, trash, and garbage was strewn upon the grounds of the Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument[54][55][56]; by comparison, Beck's rally - which had tens of thousands more people - had no litter problem whatsoever. [57]

To protest the drilling of oil from which gasoline is made, Greenpeace frequently uses vehicles powered by gasoline engines, in this case a Zodiac inflatable boat with an outboard engine.

Al Gore, former United States Vice-President

"There are many who still do not believe that global warming is a problem at all. And it's no wonder: because they are the targets of a massive and well-organized campaign of disinformation lavishly funded by polluters who are determined to prevent any action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming out of a fear that their profits might be affected if they had to stop dumping so much pollution into the atmosphere."

Sean Hannity reported on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, February 18, 2007, that when Al Gore was running his campaign: "On January 27th, 2000, Gore campaign in Concord and Manchester, New Hampshire, and on that very same day reimbursed the Thomas Lee Company $1,400 for the use of their corporate jet. That evening he left New Hampshire and flew back to Washington aboard Air Force Two, the vice president's official plane is a 757, which means that the flight from New Hampshire to Washington, well, the vice president emitted more than 22,000 pounds of CO2."[58]

On March 29, 2009, Gore further compounded his global warming hypocrisy by keeping many of his lights on at his Belle Meade (Nashville), Tennessee home - including his floodlights - when they should have been off for the Earth Hour that he helped to promote. [9][10][11]

Leonardo DiCaprio, actor

DiCaprio, a well known Hollywood actor turned environmentalist is highlighting the plight of polar bears and global warming; however, in doing so, he is using reams and reams of unrecycled paper[59].

Oil tanker SS Prestige

Spain, a member of the Kyoto accords, refused to permit a stricken oil tanker, SS Prestige into a safe harbor; the reason given was to prevent pollution in Spanish waters. On November 19, 2002, the Prestige sank, spilling more then 77,000 tons of fuel oil - which could have been pumped out of the ship while docked - into the open ocean, which washed ashore within days onto much of the Atlantic coastal areas of Spain, Portugal, and France. [60]

The New York Times on waste

In an article published in the New York Times on February 25, 2009, Dr. Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resource Defense Council, stated emphatically that “No forest of any kind should be used to make toilet paper.” The writer of the article, Leslie Kaufmann, called her piece "What Mr. Whipple Didn't Say: Softer Paper Is Costly to Forests," seemingly lecturing Americans on wastefulness via the subject of toilet paper, and emphasizing how countries other than America use more recycled content in creating toilet paper than in the U.S. (20% vs. 2% respectively). [61][62]

The New York Times prints over one million newspapers daily; it admitted to an ordinary blogger that its own use of recycled paper is 21% to 28%; he further stated that it "takes 75,000 trees to print the Sunday edition of the New York Times"[63]. Taking away the top percentage for recycling leaves well over 50,000 trees cut down.

Hypocritical care for endangered animals

The Sonoran pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) is listed as critically endangered by the Federal government, numbering about 80 estimated animals in their former range within Arizona. Groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Wilderness Watch, and other environmentalists are opposed to the contruction and placement of watch towers within the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge by the Department of Homeland Security to detect illegal immigrants crossing into the United States, stating that "human presence" would disturb the animals in such a way as to drive them to actual extinction. "They always end up causing a lot of unintended consequences," said George Nickas, director of Wilderness Watch, about the towers. "I don't know which straw will break the camel's back, so to speak, but I do think what's happening will incrementally lead to more and more difficulties."[64]

Environmentalists are more concerned about the effects of the Border Patrol on the animals. Ignored by these liberals are the hundreds of illegals moving through the pronghorn's habitat on a daily basis, leaving man-made destruction of the environment and tons of trash in their wake.[65][66]

Progressive Secular Industry

Neil Stevens of RedState.com criticizes Google for not practicing what they preach, otherwise known as Leftist hypocrisy. [67]

“

Attention leftists: hypocrisy is not a failure to live up to one’s own ideals. Hypocrisy is a willful professing of a belief, that one that does not truly believe.

”

Labor

Outsourced picketers

For decades Labor Unions allegedly presented themselves as defenders of the oppressed, and against the "capital exploitation of labor." Labor Unions were supposed to have won for workers certain rights, guarantees, benefits, and fair wages. Unions were said to have forced businesses to be accountable for "fair labor practices," and through the higher pay scales they won for themselves paid more taxes on income collected from their paychecks by employers which had the support of government. Trade Unionism had been an important part of the liberal coalition within the Democratic party. In the late 1990's, Unions began protesting the loss of jobs through outsourcing.

Exploitation of the poor

By the 21st century, Unions began outsourcing picket lines to non-union, scab labor. The non-unionized workers were recruited from the most vulnerable of society willing to take on the most undignified type of work. The Unions offered no benefits, no healthcare, no job security, low pay, and intolerable working conditions. The Unions likewise paid in cash and did not collect taxes due to either federal, state, or local governments. Further, the Union's exploitation of workers on outsourced picket lines contributed absolutely nothing to the workers Social Security retirement fund. Unions did not pay required Workers Compensation premiums for a hazardous job known to be risking life and limb. All this, so the greedy employer, in this case the Union membership, could enjoy higher living standards for themselves. [68]

Commodities

The cost of gasoline

Katie Couric, CBS News anchor

While a co-host for the NBC morning news program Today, she said this on August 15, 2005:

“I had to take out a loan to fill up my minivan. It’s crazy.”

At the time, she had a contract with NBC worth $15,000,000 a year. [69]

Cigarette smoking

Tennessee

The state of Tennessee in July 2007 enacted in increase in the tax on cigarettes; the plan was to discourage smoking by youths, new smokers, and get others to break the habit. The state's treasury also expects to see an increase in revenue from the resulting taxation. Among the organizations supporting the new tax is Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART), which has this written on their website:

"For the past six years, CHART has taken a public stand on key issues related to tobacco policy. Among other victories, the coalition helped to secure a 7 cent increase in the state's tobacco excise tax in 2002 which has reduced youth and adult smoking rates, generated vital state revenues and provided significant health care savings."[70]

The only way to generate the vital state revenues that Tennessee needs from this cigarette tax is for people to continue smoking.

Fast Food

John Banzhaf III is a legal professor at George Washington University [71] who has filed public-interest lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers and fast food restaurants. Among the defendants was McDonald's, which was targeted in 2002 [72] for contributing to obesity. This was posted on his website:

McDONALD'S TRANS FAT: McDonald's was sued after it announced, with great fanfare and publicity, that it would remove trans fat from its offerings, and then quietly reneged on its promise. McDonald's agreed to make the requested disclosure, and to pay $8 million to settle the law suit.[73]

At about the same time Banzhaf began his suit, he made an appearance on Morgan Spurlock's documentary about obesity from fast food, Super Size Me (2004), and Banzhaf is clearly shown in the film eating a large McDonald's hamburger, fries, and drink. [74]